Entrepreneurship in old rome: from politics to law

Abstract

The Roman entrepreneurship is analysed from the perspective of the relationships among economics, politics, and law. The author describes some basic aspects of these relationships in Roman history, such as the recognised connection between the Punic Wars and exchange activities, the situation of internal Roman politics, and the connection between the development of the trade and its impact on aspects of the legal language and the origination of protection mechanisms, as legal actions. On this last point, the author studies in depth the hypothesis of the origin of actiones adiecticiae qualitatis and, specifically, the actio quod iiussu in the context of the needs of the economic activity in Rome.